Foldable stairs



Oct. 414, 1952 R. B. MARscHKE 2,613,866

FOLDABLE STAIRS Filed July 3l 1946 4g firma/wm' Patented Oct. 14, 1952 jguN-rrso St.. Paul'. Minn..

. The present invention relates-telen improve-v. o .o ment in foldable stairs whereinitis desiredfto provide a low cost foldable stairwayf .which is compactlyfolded and stored vwhen not in use.

Various types of stairwlysfhave been produced.

for usein gaining accessto attis, lofts and the like, which are not regularly.used. These stairways normally fold together` and l are stored the attic 'or' loft above a pivotal .closure. .When

tain instances it is" dsirableto produce' adevice which @will accomplishv the'. desired', result at a minimum of cost. i

'The' objectof the presento'invention liesf'ini producing a foldable stairway which ,inay benor-j m'all'ystfored 'out of operable.; position and which mayvv be' quickly .swung into operative position. when desired lfor use. This stairway is extremelyy simple' inf'designl and inexpensive [to manufacture.

As a.' result this vstairway serves along felt want.

for a low' cost'sirnple stairc oris'tructio'n. E

`Afeature of the presentinvention nes'jmv the fact that the stairway `is pivotally; connected to the stairway openingY at' o eend of theopen'ing while a pivoted closure;ispivotallyconnectedfto the opposite end of the fopening. 'As' .a result the opening'closure maya'ct as ya vsupport for-'thev stairs" until they are pivtedfinto ,operativeposifeature of the present' invention lies in provision of a light Weight stairway which is connected at ts'upperen'd bymeans `of a fiexible tape 0 1' the like tofa desired point of anchor.

Thisflexible tape isl normally urged into coiled positiontending to elevate. .the stairway. Thus the supporting vtape 'actsgas a counterweight for simplifying thestair folding operation.

A further feature of the present invention ing of 'the'closure acts to unfold the two'p'ivoted stair sections', thereby simplifying the movement of the stairway into operativ'eposition. f

VThese and' other objects and novel'y f'featuresV of the invention'jwillbe more clearlyand'fullyrset forth in the following Vs pecication4 and 'claimsQ lies in the' provision o f'hpol; means at the lowerend i of the stairway for lremovable 'engagement ywith the freeend ofthe closure. As a result th'ejopenfstairway section 26 and a lower stairway section Figure 2 isa sectional view through the-sta way and through the aperture showing the stair. Way in folded condition. 5 s

Figure is a perspective v.diagrammatic .view showing the stairway. in `partially unfolded posi--A tOn. 1- "1 Li Figure 4 isa sectional view. through theffloor:Y ing adjacent the stair aperture showing. the., springtape in conjunctiontherewith.; Y.

The stairway A* isvdesigned tobe mountedacl-f.1V jacent theaperture IOM-in the l ceiling |I ofa.. buildingorthelikeTheaperture I 0 is similare to. that. often provi-ded Ain, the ceiling of; a house or the .like; soas to provide an openinginto-the` attic ofthe building. As shown in the drawings;

theaperture l0 vis provided vwith, arectangular frameg I2V therein which frame is proyidedwithj substantialjly.-paralvlell side members l 3 'and V liliand substantiallyparallel endl-members l5 andujll.. The closure I'Iis connected .by aligned hinges .L9` to the end l5.of the frame and is designed Iitog; close the opening. within the. frame l0. A latch 20 is provided at the free edge of the closure. 41I l for engagement with a suitable keeper 2l on the frame end I6 to holdthe closure .inc closed position. f The lclosure l1 ispreferably formed with allies-,4.- tangular frame 22 having a closure panel 23 se-1 Y cured4 thereto. A crossmember 24 is secured. to the frame 22 at thefree. end o f the closure.. {I his. cross member 24 isf somewhat' widerv than-the` frame member vso as to provide, an .aperture 26 between one edge of thecross member 24 and the panel`23; f f The stairway A` preferably comprises anyiipper 21..; .Hinge members 2,94 and '30 are connectedto. the' upper andlower sections, respectively, and are'pvotally connectedY at 3l. When the stairway: is in operative position as 'illustrated'.in" Figure l of the drawings the upperendr32 fof. the lower section 21 abuts thev lower end 3 3fof theu'pper section 26 to 1strengthen the connec-lr tion. "Thus Whenthe stairway is in 'openpiosi-y tion thef two vstair sections abut and are heldin abutting.- relation 'by the yhinge portions 29v andll.v .i Y

vThe lower'. stair sectionfZl is :formed of spaced" parallel .side/rails 34 and y35aconnected byfspaced treads or lrungs 4l).v Theside rails of the two sectionsv are similarlyspaced and the treads of` Inv the drawings' 'forming a 'part, of the;specifi cation: y Figure 1 4is 'afperspective view of the stairway 11i-readiness for operation.; T j

the ,two .sections are properly spaced to provide a continuous stairawhen in the operative posi-l tiongshowninFigure 1.. Q y n .The side vrails y34 and 35 ofthe `lower stair secprojections 4I are designed to hook over the cross member 24 of the closure I 1 when the stair- Way is in folded or partially folded condition.

In other words, in the folded Apositionof` the stairwayf'th'e cross member 24 engagesin the notches 42 so as to detachably connect'the lower stair section 21 to the closure I1.

As best illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings' a casing 43 is recessed into the ooring 44 ofthe attic or loft or other room above the ceiling Il.

Within this casing 43 is provided a spring r'oll on which a flexible tape 45 is supported.v The spring roll within the casing 43 normally tends to pull the tape 45 into the casing 43. However, the tape 45 may be pulled from the casing and held out of the casing under spring tension;` The free end of the tape 45 is secured at 46 to one of the treads vor'rungs 40' of the'upper` stair section'26. a

In folded position of the stairwayv A, the lower section-21rests upon theclo'sure l1. The upper section 26 is folded tooverlie the lower section 21 and this upper section .21 is usually of sufficient length to rest upon the flooring 44. A cleat 41-is provided upon the-floor l44 to limitth'e slidable movement ofthe laddersection -26 'over the floor. The spring `tape '45'tends to urge-the'stairway into contacting engagement with the cleat 41. .When in this-'position the projectionsll are engaged between the cross member'24 and the in tiienotehesflz.

panel.' 23 "so that' the'*cross:"rnemb'r l24 is engaged into lopen position as illustratedin 4Figures 1' and 3""ofth'e i drawings by releasing fthel latch" Z'Dforn lIn order te'unfoid the stairway into operative position the lowersection .21 is raised suiiciently. to disengage the cross member 24 :from the notches42. The lower; endV of the stairway is their freeto swing' into the inclinedfpositionj shown in 'Figure lfof the drawings, the uupp'erendj ofthe stairwayf-:beingheldagainst vtheend I6 of Inf-ordeno open the stair the mesure" wisst/ung wayis nwn readiness 'for' use;

In order to return the stairway to"foldeldfcon ditionyit is necessary toraise the stairway slightly,v this action being assisted by the Vspring on "the tape-a5: As the' 1atter,ispeievateditiis pivoted into the position shown, in Figure ,3, with "the,

crqss membern24 engaged in the notches 412;` V-The' closure `Il is then swung into closed position, the

latch .20 engaging its 'keeper 21| to' hold thefclo'e sure in closed position.

jlnford'er to hold the closure If! positioiif,v t there isl providedIaj-brace 50, pivotally connected 1 at=`5| to a braoketl5`2 to theclosure frame 22;.' This brace slides beneath a strap'53"3secured'to one side of the frame l2. The upper end of the brace 50 is curved'inwardly orpoiT-'setto friction# operative position and to return :to o1dedpositi'on; i the stairway sections are k.light weigliii/faridwA are counter-balanced to some eitent; l 45. The stairway. i's'fof" etremelyfisimple con'- trieA 1 f 4 struction andmay be added to many stair apr# tures previously in use.

In accordance with the patent statutes the principles of construction and operation of the foldable stairway has been described, and while the best embodiment thereof has been set forth, it is to be understood that obvious tchanges may be made withinthe scopeofA the following claims without departing from 'the' spirit" of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A stair construction for use in a stair aperture, the stair comprising in combination a closure pivotallyvconnected to said aperture adjacent one end thereof, ia stair body hinged between its ends, rneansslidably supporting said stair body adjacent lthe otherfend of said aperture in such a manner that the edge opposite said one end of Vthe aperture acts as a fulcrum therefor, said stair ibody being slidablyvsupported by saidedge, and cooperable hook means onQsaidfstairbody'and` on th'effree enddf said, closure for slidably con'j nectingf said stairfto saidfclosure. A f

2,-A foldable stairwayior use in` a stair per# ture, 'comprising'fin'fcoinbination an aperture rclefv sure, means pivotallyconnecting said Closure ad'-4 jacent' one end 'of said aperture, a ladder body including foldably connected sections, saidb'ooly being slidably engageablewith the otherend fvv said aperture and hooi; means adjacent the .low r; extremityof the lower'mostof :said sections.. and l closure engageable withjsaid hook means'tohold said I"lowermost 'section'f substantially` parallel ,to saidclosure'in engaged position therebetween.

a cross member secured Iadjacent thefree edge. of said c1osure`, agladder' includinghneedlvf connectedsectionsjtheupper end of saidladderbeinesiidably. engageant: with. the -oiheryend O'fsaid aperture andiio lgmeans 'adjacentftiielower end `oi thej lowermos i "S'aid u'sections detachably engageable witligl s ross member, said/lower. .f most section'heldYsii/, stantiallyParallelfto sa' closur vinlengaged position thereof. i .Afeldabl? Starwayircludng a. stirlape ture', a closure pivotally connected adjacentv .Y end 'ofj said, aperturejo :swing downwardly there-1, l fromfa stair'body including foldably connected; sections, one of. saidsections being designedto 'lie substantially parallel to said closure, the'otheryM of said A sections :being slidably 'engageable' with fl the other end of `said aperture, detachable con-"f f necting means.betweenl said v lowermo'st stair Seel-1z t tionand saidelosure; isai"d lowermost'l stair' .section being ioldable'. relative to the nextadja'cent stair section Simultaneously vv xi/itlfi .the pivotalmovement of said 'c1osure.

Aefoldablestair cpy i ructio'nio'r.A useinl combinatieii i witiif'iiegri meansgpiified" with 5 ai stairlapertu rvaving, a l'osure pivoted ,adjacent oneejirthereg ItoV swing awnwardw therefrom; a ladder' V)muyV e utimgya pairloifoidabn con-fi nectedsectifons -eans .detachably' connecting the iowemiost l'of aiisections tothe'sidefof said ensure "which" is l uppermost ini! c'iosed {positi'o'iiv there i' and means foldabiy connecting .said stair festives. and. res1i1 ienim.eans.mo'iitedfon said' iiooring meansand connecting 'with' the up'p'ero'fsaid' stair sections' at a locus adjacent to-the side of said aperture opposite 'thatti wlich "sa'idclo, sure is pivotally connected,"said" last named'y means supporting said upper stair section for slidable and pivotal movement over the edge of said opposite aperture side.

6. A foldable stair construction for use in combination with a stair aperture having a closure pivoted adjacent one end thereof to swing downwardly therefrom from one end thereof, a stair body including a pair of sections, means detachably connecting the lowermost of said sections to the surface of said closure which is uppermost in closed position thereof, means foldably connecting said stair sections, and flexible means secured to the upper section of said stair sections, and spring means mounted near the other end of the aperture and connected to said exible means to assist in counter-balancing the weight of said stair sections, said spring means urging the upper end of the uppermost stair section toward said other end of the aperture.

BERTHOLD V. MARSCHKE, Administrator of the Estate of Reinhold B.

M arschke, Deceased.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 

